Just a Dream
by sixwingedbee
Summary: In which Ienzo has a nightmare.


Nightmares were always the worst to wake up from. More so when it was still dark out, and the castle was silent in its own sleep. But that didn't matter to the young apprentice that woke with such a fright.

All he could do was pat the sheets in his bed, grip his arms, and curl his fingers into his hair. Making sure he was there.

That he was real.

Ienzo finally slid out of his bed, bare feet touching the cold stone floors. If he couldn't go back to sleep, he would walk. Walk until he tired himself out, or became bored enough to retreat to the library.

The hallways were so quiet. Ienzo could hear the wind rustling the trees outside. The faint snores down the far wing, where the other Apprentices were asleep. With the bigger threats being eliminated, most could sleep proper without having to set alarm to patrol the castle. It was this briefest time when the moon was still crossing the sky that Ienzo appreciated.

The daytime was so noisy. The bustle of the inhabitants of the world, heavy footsteps of Aeleus and Dilan as they patrolled, and the never ending discussion that Even and himself would get into. While enjoyable, it very quickly became too much. Deafening.

He yearned for the quiet of the basement.

But, instead he was here. Slinking around his 'home', trying to make sense of the images that plagued his dreams. What did it all mean?

There wasn't much time to ponder when the he heard a familiar sound. The soft _whoosh _of a portal. Several of them. But it wasn't the sound of corridors of Darkness opening, of possible enemies coming in nearly at once. It was much more precise and spaced out in a pattern.

Ienzo wasn't even aware he was running at first. Closer, closer, closer! Searching for the source. It had to be him.

A left turn, more hallway, then a right. Running and running down what seemed like an endless corridor.

He came back-

"Braig!"

Ienzo sat up with a jolt in his bed, his lungs on fire. He felt like he ran all around the World before being dropped back into his room. His eyes darted about the room as he panted heavily. Both his hands were clasped over his mouth, trying to silence his breathing. He felt like each exhale could topple the stone walls of his room.

He was here. He was real.

And his so-called 'family' was still broken.

Déjà Vu hit as Ienzo got out of bed, quietly wandering the halls. He had so much restless energy, he had to burn it somehow. He'd walk until his thoughts trailed happier paths. He'd walk until he dropped.

Ienzo had long accepted that 'Xehanort' no longer existed, not as he remembered him. Xehanort was an entirely different person, and Terra didn't even know who the young man was. Sometimes the thought saddened him, feeling like he lost a brother. Xehanort had been the one closest to his age, as ironic as that statement could be now.

He missed him. Despite all that Xehanort and Xemnas put him through, he missed him.

But missing someone who should never have existed is vastly different than missing someone who was suppose to come back.

When Riku returned from the battle to inform the castle of what had happened to them. To Sora.. He let the apprentices know of Xigbar's demise. Of Braig's choice.

Braig should have returned by now. Reformed and reunited with them. But there was no boisterous laughter out on patrol. An empty room sat at the end of their quarters. No one would look at the chair that was removed from the table.

No one would acknowledge it. Ansem, Even and Isa had returned, and that was good enough for everyone.

Ienzo missed him.

He was thinking of returning to his room, starting to feel the cold chill in the castle. Walking out without shoes or slippers was a mistake.

_Whoosh_.

Ienzo heard it. He really heard it this time. His pace quickened as he ran down the hall. He heard more portals opening, moving about the castle. The softest clink of items being moved from shelves.

He was looking for something.

That bought Ienzo enough time to follow the sounds of the portals, figuring out he was going room to room. He could run faster and catch him.

He pushed a heavy door open right as the Braig popped out of one of his own portals. He was really there.

"Braig!"

Braig froze, staring at Ienzo. An animal caught. He looked no worse from when he rejoined the Organization. No better, either. The grey was more prominent in his long hair, and the smirk was being replaced with a scowl.

"Kid- Look, I don't have time for this." He was going to leave again. Zip through a portal and never come back.

Ienzo grabbed his arm before he had a chance. "Why didn't you come back?"

This caught Braig by surprise. Not just being grabbed by Ienzo, but such emotion in his voice. The tremble at the end. He remembered the little kid that never spoke. Then the Nobody that spoke with rotten words. Now here he was, practically breaking down.

"You were suppose to come back!"

Braig didn't notice the shadows. Didn't see how the lights dimmed and Ienzo's form split until it was too late. It seemed the youngest still had some of his powers. Coming out in panic at the thought of him leaving again.

It was almost sweet.

But the images weren't sweet. Three versions of Ienzo standing there in front of him. Child, Nobody, and Adult. Each distressed, each demanding answers.

"How could-" "-did you go-" "- suppose to come ba-" "- to me-"

The sharpshooter couldn't answer any of those questions. Not without giving information that Ienzo was never suppose to have. Ienzo already knew too much in his young age.

Because of him.

Braig didn't have time to feel guilty about it. Didn't have time for the panic these Illusions were building. He had possessions to gather and places to be. He swiped his hand at what he thought was the main Ienzo. That version of the adult apprentice melted as soon as he touched it, slinking back into nothing.

All that remained was the Nobody and the child. Somehow that made it worse. Tears were flowing, thick and black like oil. One could've mistaken it for Darkness seeping out of the boy. His anguish dragging him back into the very place he crawled out of.

Still, they shouted. Louder and louder, voices growing more panicked and distorted. The kid would wake up the entire castle if he wasn't careful. That might've even been his plan, have everyone run down here and swarm the sharpshooter.

Both of his Arrowguns were drawn and aimed. Not a single flinch. The two figures stared at him, hatred and sorrow flooding their features.

"Don't-"

There was no hesitation as the blades flew, whistling through the air.

**THUNK.**

They zoomed right through the illusions and embedded into the wall.

Behind him, the real Ienzo stood and stared. His form was flickering in and out of the shadows, instinct trying to hide himself from the new threat.

He was afraid.

Despite everything, he didn't think Braig would actually try to harm him.

They were suppose to be a family.

"How could you."

But he would never get answers. Not when Braig disappeared through a portal, not even looking at him. Once it closed, there was no evidence he had ever stepped foot into the castle. Only the cold reality that he may have never cared for the boy at all.

Ienzo stood there, wrapping his arms around himself. He could feel his knees buckle and his misery consume him. But there was no darkness to swallow him up, no Corridor to open and take him back to the safety of the Castle That Never Was.

Just the cold stone floor.

He had no idea how long he had been sitting there, staring into nothing. He could hear the heavy footsteps. Aeleus or Dilan. Their gaits were similar. But without the scent of Darkness, he couldn't tell who it was until they were practically upon him.

"Ienzo, what are you doing up?"

It was Aeleus. Of course it was. Who else would come to his rescue? Ienzo closed his eyes, feeling the strong hand help him off the floor. He could tell him. He could tell him everything.

The brief smell of familiar darkness wafted to his nose, he could hear a portal deep in the basements.

"I had a nightmare, Aeleus."


End file.
